The region of Patagonia, located both in Argentina and Chile, is not only an ideal destination for adventurous globetrotters in South America. Patagonia also offers unlimited opportunities for meaningful and conscious travelling.
Visiting Patagonia will give you the opportunity to get a taste of living in one one of the most exciting volunteer destinations in South America. At the same time, you will have the chance to experience the essence of authentic Patagonia: its people and their social and environmental struggles.
By offering yourself as a volunteer, you will be in direct and equal contact with the locals, their convictions and beliefs, their struggles, their friendliness and open mindedness, and, most importantly, their love for the land they live in.
Top Reasons to Volunteer in Patagonia
Patagonia, with many of its areas still untouched by the careless hand of industry and capitalist globalization, is a land rich in natural wonders and awe-inspiring beauty.
However, national policies do not truly protect its treasures, overriding the locals’ right to self-determination and threatening the environmental balance. This South American region is menaced by foreign companies’ interests and the acquiescence of some local politicians, while most Patagonian people have access to very little besides the beauty of their land and the ever-present wind.
Some international volunteer programs in Argentinean and Chilean Patagonia seek to benefit the development of the Patagonia region through its various projects.
Some volunteer organizations have no overhead costs, which means that every contribution made by volunteers is directly used to promote, sponsor, and execute development projects in Patagonia. You will receive personalized and careful attention when organizing your volunteering experience in Patagonia, not only from coordinators but also from members who have previously volunteered.
Volunteers who bring their solidarity and committed participation to Patagonia stay involved and provide support even after they have gone home. As a result, the organization continues to generate positive actions and solidify the joint effort regardless of where its members reside.
Volunteer in Patagonia and experience it from within!
How to Help in Partagonia
Education & Culture Volunteering
Volunteering opportunities in Patagonia in training and education projects, workshops and programs for children, teenagers and adults, promotion of different kinds of cultural and artistic activities.
Environmental Volunteering
Volunteering placements in Patagonia related to the protection of the environment, the sustainable use of natural resources, raising awareness about the environmental, social and economic dangers of mega mining, monoculture, large scale hydroelectric dams, etc.
Development of Animated Movies Development of Animated Movies
Some orgs want to develop educational animated movies (between 1 and 5 minutes long) in order to explain to the general public in an easy way the environmental, social and economic dangers of metal mining exploitation.
Natural Building Natural Building
Since 2007, the creators of these projects, Laura and Darío, who are also founders of the Club Andino Cholila, settled in Cholila with the intention of fostering actions and attitudes towards a better way of life.
Organic Farming
In the National University of Patagonia in Esquel, a demonstrative piece of land dedicated to natural cultivation was established to demonstrate and teach the natural cultivation as well as natural building techniques.
Support Communities Affected by Mining
Some local organisations are currently cooperating with the Assembly of Self-Organized Neighbours against Mining of Esquel, in Argentinean Patagonia, on the national and international awareness campaign regarding the issue of communities affected by mining.
Assisting People with Intellectual Disabilities
The Work Integration Centre for adults with intellectual disabilities has been functioning in Esquel for approximately 20 years. It was founded with the aim of offering technical education and job training to people with different degrees and types of disabilities.
Helping at a Daycare Centre Helping at a Daycare Centre
The main activity of the Mi Casita foundation is directed towards protecting and nursing children whose parents are either single or have no resources for sending their children to a paid nursery. At the daycare centre, about 70 children from 1 to 12 years old.
Community Radio Operator Community Radio Operator
As a volunteer in the Community Radio Operator placement, you will be responsible for controlling the broadcast equipment, carrying out broadcasting activities, mixing sounds, and other tasks related to the functioning of the community radio station. Placement Details
Teaching and/or Assisting at a Community Library
The community library was founded in Esquel with the joint effort of the local community which was involved in setting up and developing a communal centre. The objective of the community library is to collaboratively foster, share and build knowledge.
Tutoring Children and Teenagers Tutoring Children and Teenagers
As a volunteer in this organization, your responsibility will be to tutor children and teenagers through workshops and non-formal educational activities on the organization’s premises. Activities will be organized according to your experience and preference.
Requirements For Volunteering In Patagonia
To be a Patagonia volunteer you usually need to fulfil the requirements detailed below.
Spanish level: You need to have or achieve an intermediate level of Spanish before starting your volunteer work; that is, you need to be able to communicate fluently with the local people. If your Spanish level is not sufficient by the time you arrive, you may be required to take Spanish classes in Argentina or book a language course in Chile. Also, bear in mind that some placements may require a higher level of Spanish.
Minimum age for participation 18 years old. There is no maximum age limit.
Minimum length: You need to be able to commit to a volunteering placement for at least 4 weeks. Some placements require a longer period. There is no maximum length set, it will depend on you.
Arrival Dates: Usually you can arrive any time throughout the year, though we do not recommend arriving during the coldest winter months of June and July, especially if you are staying for a short period. Anyway you should check the «ideal start date» of the placement you are interested in, as some placements are not available during the school holidays (end of December till mid March).
Commitment: You should have a strong commitment to community development, social and cultural development, human rights, and environment care. We need you to be truly ready for volunteer work. Please bear in mind that without the right attitude and regard towards the placement and the hosts, volunteers may become more of a burden than a benefit, and achieve no positive results or contribution to the long-term sustainability of the project.
Tolerance and adaptability: You need to be open-minded and tolerant towards cultural differences, and you need to be able to adapt to and respect the local culture.
Placement fee: You might need to pay for your volunteer placement organization fee. This fee is regardless of the length of your program and needs to be paid at least 4 weeks before your arrival.
Travel and stay costs: You need to be able to cover your travel, accommodation and board costs. Most volunteer organizations here are small, and have no resources to sponsor volunteers. Besides, 100 % of the funds raised through membership and placement fees are invested in development projects in the Patagonia region.
Travel, health and third party liability insurance: You need to get a full-coverage insurance for the total length of your volunteering program. We recommend you to get insured through a company of your choice at home.
Placement-specific requirements: Some placements require special qualifications such as command of a certain language, experience working with children, or experience working with disabled or elderly people, medical training, etc. Please refer to the «Requirements» section in each placement description to verify that you fulfil the conditions of participation of the particular placement you are interested in.
Deadlines: You should start your application process at least 8 weeks before your estimated arrival date. Once your placement is confirmed, you should send your fees at least 4 weeks before your arrival in order to secure your placement and give us sufficient time to organize your accommodation.
Accommodation
Most placements do not include accommodation and/or board. Thus, if you wish, we will organize a host family at a local price for you.
Host families are all different. They can be a two-parent family with children, a single parent, a single person, young or old, male or female. The characteristic they all have in common is that they are interested in sharing with people from other parts of the world.
Some hosts have a very structured daily life, doing their chores and having meals at set times. Other hosts are the complete opposite and organise their day on an impromptu basis.
Hosts may belong to different social classes, with different standards of living. You should bear in mind that you are not joining a holidays, private program, but rather a program run by a non-profit in which all its members work ad honorem because they believe in supporting projects.
Therefore, while we always try to find host families and volunteers who are compatible, as a guest you should make an effort to adapt to your hosts, even when they are not from the same social class as you, their homes do not have all the amenities and comfort you are used to, and when they have different habits, opinions and ideologies, etc. Above all, you should always take into account that although you are paying for accommodation, the amount is not excessive. It is basically used to cover the costs generated by your stay.
You should, therefore, have an open mind and be tolerant and adaptable so that you can enjoy a wonderful experience and make friends with people from the local community.
All the host families will offer you a single room, normally with a shared bathroom. There are two catering options available, and it is the host family who decides which option they will offer, based on their preferences and daily routine.
Self catering: You will have access to the family kitchen, and you will buy and prepare your own meals. Of course, you can share some meals with your hosts, though it won’t be on a daily, organized basis.
Half board: Your hosts will share with you two of their daily meals, usually lunch and dinner. They will not cook special meals for you; they will just make a bit more of what they usually eat. You will buy and prepare other meals you wish to take, such as breakfast or tea.
You will pay for your accommodation directly to your hosts, usually in Argentinean pesos. A description of the host family, as well as the address and contact details will be sent you to before your arrival.
The cost of the accommodation may vary due to inflation or to gas or electricity price increase.